The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-03-25
SER MON.

Rev. William Gilbert, late Methodist
minister, preached last Sabbath, March G,
1887, at the Spring Garden Unitarian
Church, of Philadelphia from the text,
'Let every man be fully persuaded in his
own mind. Mr.. Gilbert had been for
twenty years a minister of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and it was only two
months ago that, having experienced
change of heart, or more properly, belief,
and feeling that he could no longer in sin
cerity or honor retain his charge, was con-
strained to resign as pastor of that church.
He is now residing at Chester, Pa. We
give below report of his remarks:
lie said that in making his thought pre-
paration for that occasion his starting
point was not the passage of scripture
found in his text, but the single question,
''What is the rule of life?"
When the mind experiences any unusual
change it is very apt to become unusually
inquisitivc. For twenty years | was con-
nected with the Methodist Episcopal
church, and during most of that time oc-
cupied pulpit in that church. Because
OF radical change of belief concerning the
origin Of the Bible, | was compelled, in
| order to preserve my sincerity, to with
draw from that church That change
caused me to ask some new questions and
many old ones with a new interest, and
among them | find this question, "What
is the rule of life?'i 1t is a question
that many people ask, and as certainly do
all people need an answer. The answer
that seems most satisfactory to me now
is this: \ PERSONS present positive be-
lief concerning what is right for himself
is the rule of life; it is his belief, not his
knowledge, not his inclination. II is his
belief, not that which he has from some
one else. 1t is his present belief. not the
belief he entertained an hour ago, or Il
year ago, or any time past. 1t is his pos
tive belief, not his negative belief.
There is good work, it seems to me, TO
be done by the destractonists, but when
a man is nothing more than destruc-
Zionist he is to be pitied, and, If possible.
to be helped. 1t is his belief concerning
what is right, not his belief concerning
what is Immediately agreeable and right,
because in his best thought it seems the
best for him and for all concerned, for the
present and for as long as human nature
may live.
a person who is governed by this rule
may be described variously. lie may be
spoken of as one who is controlled by
principle and not by emotion, by con-
science and not by inclination; by the
spirit and not by the flesh; by the high
er nature and not by the lower nature;
by the human as distinguished from what
some regard as the animal in man. He
may be described variously; words, how
ever, are valuable only SO far As they
give us clear perceptions of things, and
the words that | have used suit me best
to express what is in my thought: a
persons present positive belief concerning
what is right.
1t is a rule possessed by every account
able human being ON the globe. You know
that you have it because you see it inyour
self, and the knowledge that You obtain
when you observe others tells you that it
is in them, and this knowledge enables us
to say truthtully that it is in the Hottentot
as it is i'll the most enlightened philosopher.
This present positive belief concerning
what is right is mans best guide. \ man
may say with perfect candor that he thinks
his belief is fallible, and that ultimately,
when he has met certain person, or read
a certain book, he may have a better be-
lief; and if in his admission he is conscien-
tious, he will say that at the present mo-
ment his best guide is his present positive
belief concerning what is right This be-
lief is the best gift of the universe to man,
not the best that the universe has in store
for him, but the best that thus far he has
obtained from the storehouse of the uni
verse. use the term universe because
there is so much in single positive con-
viction in the human SOUL so much found
in the way we undertake to analyze it.
Do you ever ask yourself the question why
you believe what you do concerning the
right? You believe that it is right to eat
slowly Another man believes that it is
right to write an emancipation proclama-
ton. You believe it is right to cause
child to learn the alphabet. Another man
believes that it is right to command a great
army to save the life of the nation. Every
thing that enters into the world contributes
to your belief, your parents, grandparents,
literature, perhaps, have contributed to
what you think is right. Society as you
have associated with it, see il AID know it
has entered into that belief You see that
the visible universe enters into your belief.
Now Just as certainly as it is true that
when a man looks at the hands of a watch
and obtains belief concerning the time of
the day, that the handspring of the watch
enters into that belief, so certainly is it
true that if there is a power, single SUI
preme power in this universe, just so GER
tainly does that power enter into his be-
lief as does the visible universe. But when
the mind thinks and continues to think, it
is not satisfied. 1t is not satisfied without
al Of hit 10 ii,